Furnace-regulator system



Mar. 27, 1923. 1,449,886. 0. A. BODDIE.

FURNACE REGULATOR SYSTEM.

FILED OCT. 2. 1919.

I WITNESSES: INVENTOR 2 ML ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 27, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE A. BODDIE, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

FURNACE-REGULATOR SYSTEM.

Application filed October 2, 1919. Serial No. 328,036.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE A. BODDIE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Alle- 6 gheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Furnace-Regulator Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to regulator systems and particularly 'to furnace-regulator systems for governing the movable electrodes in.

customary to govern each electrode motor in.

accordance with the current flowing through the electrode. Although regulation of an electrode in accordance with the current flowing through it is fairly satisfactory, under some operating conditions, it is defective in operation in case a charge of variable resistance is being treated by a number of electrodes. In such case, it is necessary to take account of the potential across the electrode arc in governing the movements of the electrode and, preferably. the regulation should be effected in accordance with the watts flowing through the electrode.

In practising my invention, each electrode is provided with a regulator which is operated in accordance with the watts flowing through it to maintain substantially constant heating effects by the various electrodes. Each regulator embodies a main magnet which is operated in accordance with the watts flowing through the associated electrode and two switches which are selectively operated by the main magnet for opcrating the electrode motor in a clockwise and in a counter-clockwise direction. The main magnet comprises a potential winding and two current windings which are respec- The single figure of the accompanying ing effect .by the electrode.

tively located upon opposite sides of the podrawing is a diagrammatic view of a regulator system constructed in accordance with my invention.

Referring to .the drawing, an electric furnace 1, comprising three movable electrodes 2, 3 and 4: and a receptacle 5 containing a bath of material 6, is directly connected to a three-phase supply circuit comprising conductors 7, 8 and 9. Each of the movable electrodes 2, 3 and 4 is provided with an electrode motor for raising and lowering it and a regulator for governing the operation of the electrode motor in accordance with the watts flowing through the electrode and. inasmuch as the regulators are similar in construction and operation, it is-deemed suflicient to describe the construction and operation of only one of them, namely, the regulator which is associated with the movable electrode 4.

An electrode motor 7, comprising anarmature 8" and a field winding 9, is provided for so raising and lowering the electrode as to maintain a substantially constant heat- The motor '7 is connected to the electrode 1 by any suitable means, for example. by means of a winding drum 11 and a flexible connector 12 which passes over a pulley 13. The field winding 9 of the motor is directly connected to an auxiliary supply circuit comprising conductors 14 and 15, and the armature 8 is selectively connected to the conductors 11 and 15 by means of a regulator 16.

The regulator 16 comprises a main magnet 17, which is operated in accordance with the watts flowing through the electrode 4, and two switches 18 and 19 which are governed by the main magnet 17. The switches 18 and 19 selectively operate the motor 7 in a clockwise and in a counter-clockwise direction. The main magnet 17 comprises two current coils 20 and 21 which with a dash pct 27 for adjustment of its through the electrode 4, and neither the current windings 20 and 21 nor the potentiali winding 23 alone will be able to effect operation of the main magnet 17 The contact arm 26 is fulcrumed at 28 and carries a main contact member 29 which is adapted to engage contact members 30 and 31 according to the operating position of the contact arm. Reference may be made to my copending application, Serial No. 378,731, filed May 4, 1920, for a more extensive description of the electromagnet 17. l

The switch 18 comprises a winding 32, which is connected across the supply conductors 14 and 15 upon engagement between the contact members 29 and 3 1. and a core armature 33 which is operated by the winding 32. The core armature. 33 operates two switch members 34 and 35 and two interlock switch members 36 and 37. The two switch members 34 and35 connect the armature 8 across the supply conductors 14 and 15 for effecting rotation'of the motor 7 in a clockwise direction to lower the electrode 4 in the furnace 5. The interlock switch member 36, upon operation of the switch 18, serves to short circuit that portion of the resistor 24 which is included between taps 38 and 39.

The switch 19 comprises a winding 41, which is connected across the supply conductors 14 and 15 upon engagement between the contact members 29 and 30, and a core armature 42 which is controlled by the. winding 41. The core armature 42 is directly connected to two switch members 43 and 44 k and two interlock switch members 45 and 46. .The two switch members 43 and 44 connect the armature 8 across the supply conductors 14 and 15 ,for effecting rotation of the motor 7 in a counter-clockwise direction to raise the electrode 4 from the bath of material 6. The interlock switch member 45, upon operation of the switch 19, serves to open a short-circuit across that portion of the resistor 24 which is included between the taps 38 and 40. The two interlock switch members 37 and 46 serve to connect a brake relay 47 across the supply conductors 14 and 15 when the switches 18 and 19 are simultaneously released. The brake relay 47 completes a dynamic-braking circuit through a resistor 48 for the armature-8 of the motor 7.

Amuming power above normal value to be supplied to the electrode 4, and the electhe contact members 29 and 30. Upon engagement between the contact members 29 and 30, the switch 19 is operated for energizing'the armature 8 to effect rotation of the motor 7 in a counter-clockwise direction. The rotation of the motor 7 in a counterclockwise direction raises the electrode 4 to decrease the watts flowing through it. If no means were provided for preventing hunting action by the regulator, the motor 7 would continue to raise the electrode 4 until a normal amount of power was utilized by the electrode. At such time, the main magnet 17 would be operated to separate the contact members 29 and 30 and deenergize the switch 19 to prevent further operation of the motor 7. However, the inertia of the various moving parts of the regulator and the inertia of the motor would cause overtravel which would raise the electrode 4 above the desiredpoint to produce normal conditions and, accordingly, effect the so-called hunting action.

In order to prevent hunting action, the interlock switch member 45 is operated, simultaneously with the operation of the motor $7, to open the short-circuit which normally obtains across that portion of the resistor 24 which is included between the taps 38 and 40. Thus, the energization of the winding 23 is decreased to change the setting of the magnet 17, and, consequently,

to' effect a separation of the contact members 29 and 30 just rior to theobtaining of normal electrode-circuit conditions.

If the-number of watts flowing through the electrode 4 is below normal .value, the energization of the main magnet 17 is decreased to effect engagement between the contact members 29 and 31. Upon engagement between the contact members 29 and 31, the switch 18 is operated'for energizing the armature 8 to effect rotation of the motor 7 in a clockwise direction. The clockwise rotation of the motor 7 lowers the electrode 4.in the furnace 1 to increase the number of watts flowin through it.

The interlock switch member 36'is operated simultaneously with the motor 7 to short-circuit that portion of the resistor 24 winch is included between the taps 38 and 39. Such variation-of the resistor 24 increases the energization of the winding 23 to changethe setting of the main magnet 17 for effecting a separation of the contact members 29 and 31 just prior to the obtaining of normal conditions in the circuit of the electrode 4. Thus, the various moving parts of the regulator and of the motor are prevented from overtravel to produce the so-called hunting 'action.'-

From the above description, itis apparent that the main magnet 17 'is operated in accordance with the watts flowing through the circuit of theelectrode 4 for operating the motor 7 in a forward and in a reverse direction to maintain the heating efiect of the electrode 4 substantially constant. Moreover, the switches 18 and 19, which are controlled by the main magnet, vary the energization of the potential coil in the main magnet to prevent hunting action on the part of the regulator.

Modifications in the system and in the arrangement and locations of parts may be made within the spirit and scope of my invention, and such modifications are intended to be covered by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a furnace-regulator system, the combination comprising a movable electrode and means, comprising an electromagnet having a potential winding and two current windings, for operating said electrode in accordance with the watts flowing through it.

2. In a regulator system, the combination comprisinga movable member, means for operating said member, a supply circuit, and means, comprising an electromagnet energized in accordance with the watts flowing through said circuit, for governing said operating means, said electromagnet comprising a potential winding and two current windings respectively located on opposite sides of the potential winding.

3. In a furnace-regulator system, the combination comprising a movable electrode, a

motor for raising and lowering the electrode, means, comprising an electromagnet operated in accordance with the watts passing through the electrode, for governing the operation of said motor, and means for varying the, energization of said electromagnet to prevent hunting action.

4. In a furnace-regulator system, the combination with a movable electrode, and a motor for raising and lowering said electrode, of means, comprising an electromagnet having current and potential windings, for controlling said motor in accordance with the watts passing through the electrode, and means for varying the energization of said windings to prevent hunting action.

5. In a furnace-regulator system, the combination comprising a movable electrode, a motor for raising and lowering the electrode, an electromagnet operated in accordance with the Watts passing through the electrode and having a potential winding and two current windings, respectively located on opposite sides of the potential w inding, and means for varying the energization of one said windings to prevent hunting action.

6. In a regulator system, the combination comprising a movable member, means for operating said member, a supply circuit, means, comprising an electromagnet energized in accordance with the watts passing through said circuit, for governing said operating means, and means for varying the energization of said magnet to prevent huntin action.

In a furnace-regulator system, the combination comprising a movable electrode, means, comprising an electromagnet having a potential winding and two current windings, foroperating said electrode in accord.- ance with the watts flowing through it, a resistor connected in circuit with one of said windings, and means for varying said re: sistor to prevent hunting action.

8. In a regulator system, the combination comprising a movable member, means for operating said member, a supply circuit, means, comprising an-electromagnet energized in accordance with the watts passing through said circuit, for governing said operating means, said electromagnet comprising a potential winding and two current windings respectively located on opposite sides of the potential winding, and means for'varying the energization of said magnet to prevent hunting action.

9. In a furnace-regulator system, the combination comprising a movable electrode, means comprising an electromagnet for operating said electrode in accordance with the watts flowing through it, said electromagnet embodying a potential winding and two current windings located on opposite sides of the potential winding, and means for varying the energization of said magnet to prevent hunting action..

10. In a furnace-regulator system, the combination comprising a movable electrode, means comprising an electromagnet for operating said electrode in accordance with the watts flowing through it, said electromagnet embodying a potential winding and two current windings located on opposite sides of the potential winding, a resistor connected in circuit with said otential winding, and means for varying said potential winding to prevent hunting action.

11. In a furnace-regulator system, the combination with a movable electrode, and a motor for raising and lowering said electrode, of means, comprising an electromagnet having two current windings and a potential winding, for operating said motor in accordance with the watts flowing through said electrode, a resistor connected in circuit with said potential winding, and means for varying said resistor to prevent hunting action.

12. In a furnace-regulator system, the combination. comprising a movable electrode, a motor for raising and lowering the electrode, and means comprising an electromagnet operated in accordance with the watts passing through the electrode for governing the operation of said motor.

13. In a furnace-regulator system. the

combination comprising a movable electrode, means for raising and lowering the electrode, and an electromagnet operated in accordance with the watts passing through the electrode for governing the operation of said means. I

14. In combination, an energy-translating device, means for adjusting the same, and means for governing said adjusting means in accordance with the amount of energy in watts being translated, said governing means comprising a single electromagnet having a potential and two current windings.

15. In combination, an energy-translating device, means for adjust-ing the same, means for governing said adjusting means in accordance with the amount of energy in watts being translated, said governing means comprising a single electromagnet having a potential and two current windings, and means for varying theenergi'zation-ot said electromagnet to prevent huntingaction.

16. In combination, an energy-translating device, means for adjusting the same, means for governing said adjusting means in accordance with the amount of energy in watts being translated, said governing means comprising a single electromagnet havin a potential and two current windings, an means for influencing the operation of said electromagnet when the energy-translating device is being adjusted to prevent hunting action.

17 In combination, an energy-translating device, means for adjusting the same, means for governing said adjusting means in accordance with the amount of energy in watts being translated, said governing means com prising a single electromagnet having a potential and two current windings, means for influencing the operation of said electromagnet when the energy-translating device is being adjusted to prevent hunting action, and means for vaiying the amount of said influencing action.

18. In combination, an energy-translating device, means for adjusting the same, means for governing-said-adjusting means in accordance with the amount of energy in watts being translated, said governing means comprising a single electromagnet having a potential and two current windings, and

auxiliary means controlled by said governing means for mfluenclng the operatlon of said governing means to prevent hunting action.

19. In combination, an energy-translating.

said potential winding, and means for vary ing said resistor to prevent hunting action. 21., In combination, an energy-translating device, means for adjusting the same, means for governing said adjusting means in accordance with the amount of energy in ,watts being translated, said govermng means] comprising a single electromagnet having a potential and two-current windings, a resistor connected in circuit with said potential winding, and means controlled by .said governing means for varying said resistor to prevent hunting action.

22 In-combination, an energy-translating device, means for adjusting the same, means for governing said adjustlng means in accordance with the amount 0 energy 1n watts being translated, said governing means said adjusting means comprising a single electromagnet having a potential and two current windings, a resistor connected in circuit with said potential winding, said resistor being so controlled by said governing means as to oppose the operation of said governing means.

23. In a furnace regulator, in combination, a movable electrode, a motor raising and lowering said electrode, means for selectively energizing said motor comprising a single electromagnet energized in accordance with the amount of watt energy traversing said electrode, and means comprising a resistor connected in circuit with said electromagnet and so controlled by sald motor energizing means as to oppose the operation of said motor energizing means.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this29th day of Sept. 1919.

CLARENCE A. BODDIE. 

